Tubular frame for bridges



(No Model.)

B. MANNBSMANN. TUBULAR FRAME FOR BRIDGES, &c

No. v555.015. Patented Feb; 18, 1896.

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ATENT REINI-IARD MANN ESMANN, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y. ASSIGNOR TO THE MANNES- MANN TUBE COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEWV JERSEY.

TUBULAR FRAME FOR BRIDGES, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,015, dated February 18, 1896.

Application filed December 28, 1894. Renewed July 27, 1895. Serial No. 557,388. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, REINHARD MANNES- MANN, a citizen of Germany, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented newand useful Improvements in Tubular Frames for Bridges, Cars, and other Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved frame or structure for use in the construction of bridges, railway-car bodies or frames, cartruck frames, and for other purposes, said frame or structure being composed of seamless elastic tubes of metal, preferably steel, high or rich in carbon, or rather possessing a high percentage of carbon, and susceptible of resisting or withstanding tensile or compression strains or pressures to a very high degree and greatly in excess of the power of resistance of tubular frames or structures as heretofore constructed and applied.

The invention also has for its object to provide a tubular frame so constructed that very thin tubes can be practicably employed for obtaining all necessary strength to successfully resist or withstand the vibrations and strains or pressures to which bridges, cars, and the like are ordinarily subjected.

3o Heretofore tubular frames or structures have been used in the construction of bridges, railway-car bodies and the like; but they are more or less objectionable for many reasons, chiefly because the tubes lack the requisite strength to successfully resist or withstand the tensile and compression strains to which the parts are subjected, while the ordinary screw-threaded connections or similar joints soon shake loose, owing to the excessive vi- 4o brations incident to railway traffic.

The ordinary construction of tubes employed for the purposes stated are low in carbon, comparatively rigid in use, and all the parts of the metal composing the tubes do 7 not possess sufficient cohesion to enable the tubes to practically resist excessive vibrations, particularly at the joints.

The invention consists, essentially, in an elastic frame for a bridge or other structure, comprising longitudinal seamless elastic 5o tubes and interposed tubular bracing composed of a continuous tube bent into an an gular or zigzag form to provide a plurality of angles or bends, which are rigidly secured to the longitudinal tubes. v

The invention also consists in other features of construction and combination or arrangement of parts, hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tubularr frame constructed according to my invention and adapted to be used in bridges, railwaycars, and for other purposes. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modification in the arrangement of the angularly-a-rranged bracing; and Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the clips or collars adapted to be shrunk into position, as will hereinafter appear.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein- The numeral 1, Fig. 1, indicates longitudinal seamless elastic tubes, and 2 the transverse elastic seamless bracing angularly interposed between and welded at the angles to the longitudinal tubes.

In the drawings I have illustrated two frames, made up of triangles, as typical of several arrangements or forms which can be adopted.

The transversebracing is composed of a tube preferably made in one continuous piece, which is bent into zigzag form and interposed between the longitudinal tubes to consitute, in connection therewith, a plurality of triangles. The tubular bracing can be made in separate parts welded together and to the longitudinal tubes; but, as before stated, the 0 bracing is preferably made of a single continuous tube, bent at intervals into angular form, as this construction is more simple, economical, durable and efficient from a commercial and practical standpoint. 5

The tubes are each made by subjecting a hot solid bar or block of steel or other metal to the cross rolling action of tapering spirally grooved rolls, which tend to advance and re tate the metal bar or block, the latter being resisted, so that the surface of the metal bar or block is moved along, leaving the center or core stationary, whereby the skin of the bar or block is drawn over and the tube is thereby formed. The still heated tube, comparatively thick-shelled and relatively short, is transferred to a stcp-by-step rolling-machine, by which said tube is rolled down step by step upon a mandrel, and thereby transformed into an elongated elastic tube having a thin shell and smooth inside and outside, all according to the Mannesmann process of making tubes-for example, as in Patents Nos. 361,955 and 361,956. The result of the method of operation. referred to is a greatly increased cohesion of every part of the metal, and consequently the tube can be made very thin, while it will stand pressures or strains far exceeding ordinary tubes.

At each of the angles where the angular tubular bracing joins the longitudinal tubes 1 I arrange a clip or collar 3, which encircles or extends around one of the longitudinal tubes and the angle of the bracing-tube. The clips are each placed in position while in a heated and expanded condition, and as the clip or collar cools it shrinks or contracts, and thereby secures a very efficient connection of the parts and a joint which will not shake loose under any circumstances.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated in detail the preferred form of clip or collar adapted to be shrunk into place, and, as will be seen by reference to this figure, the clip or collar is composed of two sections 4 and 5, each having at each side a laterally-projeetinglug 6, around which can be engaged an elongated or yokeshaped piece of metal 7, which at its ends engages the lugs (3. The elongated or yokesha-ped piece of metal 7 is placed in position while in a heated condition, and as it cools it shrinks or contracts, and thus the clips are shrunk in position and the angular parts of the angular bracing are welded to the longitudinal tubes.

The angular bracing, formed of a continuous seamless or weldless and elastic tube bent into zigzag form, as described and shown, provides a very desirable, strong, and substantial bracing, which is very advantageous over ordinary devices of the kind made of tube-sections, in that the expense of screwtlrrea-ded couplings and screw-threaded parts is avoided, while a stronger and more durable and effective frame is secured.

In the frame or structure illustrated in Fig. 1 all parts of the interposed angular bracing run in inclined planes relatively to a perpendicular line, whereas in Fig. 2 parts of the angular bracing run in perpendicular planes. In both arrangements, however, the angular bracing, in connection with the longitudinal tubes, constitutes a plurality of triangles, which secures the very best results as regards strength, durability, and power of resistance.

An elastic tubular frame embodying the characteristic features of construction described possesses the power of resisting or withstanding tensile strains or pressures to an extent greatly exceeding frames or struetures composed of tubes made by ordinary methods and of tubes having screw-threaded connections with solid or tubular braces, tierods or struts.

The improved frames are useful in the construction of bridges, car-bodies, cartruck frames, and many other purposes not necessary to specifically mention.

13y constructing the tubes in the manner set forth they possess comparatively thin shells, which are, however, very strong and powerful, and therefore the metallic frame or structure can be made very light in weight as compared to ordinary tubular metallic frames, while their elasticity and power of resisting tensile and compression strains are sullicient to meet all the conditions required for any emergency likely to arise.

13y shrinking on the joints, clips, or collars, and thus welding the parts together, the joints will not shake loose and will not be disturbed by vibrations and cannot pull apart like ordinary joints when the parts are screwed together.

The frame or structure shown and described may be the bed or roadway support of a bridge, or it may be the side portion of the bridge, or it may be the floor-supports for a railway-car, or it may be used in the construction of railway-car trucks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. An elastic tubular frame for a bridge or other structure, consisting of longitudinal elastic seamless tubes of steel, and seamless elastic tubular bracing angular-1y interposed between said longitudinal tubes, and clamping or securing bands of metal clamped upon. and encircling the said longitudinal tubes and the angles or bends of said tubular brace, substantially as described.

2. An elastic frame for a bridge or other structure comprising longitudinal seamless elastic tubes, and an interposed tubularbracing composed of a continuous tube bent into angular or zigzag form, and clamping or securing bands of metal clamped upon and en.- circling said longitudinal tubes and the an gles of said tubular bracing, substantially as described.

3. An elastic frame for a bridge or other structure, comprising longitudinal elastic seamless tubes, and an interposed tubular bracing composed of a continuous tube, ex-

tended between the longitudinal parts of the said frame, and bent to sharp angles at points of junctions with said parts, and connected I thereto by shrunk joints, substantially as de- 10 bent into zigzag form, having the angles 01' bands firmly secured to the said longitudinal tubes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

REINHARD MANNESMANN.

Witnesses EMIL KIPPER, ALBERT H. NORRIS. 

